Joshua Victor is my first and middle name. I was named after Joshua in the Old Testament, who was a Victor in his own right, leading the Children of Israel into the promised Land. But this Joshua was a foreshadowing of the New and Greater Joshua, who would be the Victor over sin, death, and the devil, and would lead the New Children of Israel into the Promised Land of Heaven. This is none other than Jesus Christ, who by His death and resurrection is the True Victor.

Monday, January 16, 2012

1.Paul addresses sexual immorality, which
couldn’t be of greater significance for us today. Marriage being redefined, living
together outside of marriage is all but accepted, teens experimenting,
marriages in stormy waters, internet has opened a huge private arena for sin
and temptation, removing many obstacles once curbing behavior. Which has been
the greater influence on how people think of sexuality? Modern culture and the
world influencing the church? Or the other way around—the church influencing
the way society thinks?

2.Like today, the church in Corinth had
lost a clear testimony to God’s design for human sexuality. Slogans—traction on
the street? In the church? Borrowed from Paul’s teaching on other subjects?
“All things are lawful for me” (or “All things are in my power”) (“I do what I
like”); but not everything is
helpful, and what’s more—sin enslaves.
Freedom>slavery

3.“Food is meant for the stomach and the
stomach for food.” Sexuality not just satisfying our “appetite” as is the case
with food, even though culture screams the opposite. Sex-drenched magazines
line the checkout aisle of nearly every store, movies and music sing the sweet
praises of sexual unfaithfulness and loose inhibitions. Politicians and
celebrities count up their affairs as nuisances that we should ignore.

4.What slogans today? “You wouldn’t buy a
car without test driving it” (except cars don’t suffer heartbreak and feelings
of rejection, and you’re not united with a car). “What doesn’t kill you makes
you stronger” (except Jesus and Paul say sin enslaves or masters you). “My
faith is a matter of my heart and spirit”—idea that whatever is done in the body
has nothing to do with the spirit. Dividing spirit from body. But you are your soul and body. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit
within you, whom you have from God. “Do you not know that you are God’s temple
and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will
destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Cor. 3:17-18).

5.All cultural
tendencies to treat sex anywhere but in marriage as normal and inevitable must
be resisted by the church. Higher calling and a higher view of God’s gift. God
designed one of the best gifts for humankind, and who knows better than Him how
it should be used for the greatest good, love, satisfaction? The Bible and
therefore the church is counter-cultural in this way, and has a strong stand to
make and an important message to carry. Marriage between a man and a woman is
the one God-given place for the healthy expression and satisfaction of sexual
desire, and outside of marriage those who are single should practice chastity/celibacay.
Wait till marriage. The powerful bonding force of that act that makes the two
one flesh, belongs where it can create stability, foster love, and perpetuate
union between a man and a woman. There it supports and builds up family. This
view is vigorously opposed by the world; but is ignored to our own harm.

6.But where do we go from here? Is this an
issue only for the young and marriageable? Or is it a matter for the whole
church?

7.First to acknowledge the hurt and
brokenness that has occurred because of ignoring God’s good design. Admit
whatever part we may have played in it. Repent of our own sin, and hear God’s
call to higher things. Next, call the church and those outside it to find
salvation in Jesus. Jesus came to buy us sinners out of slavery. “You are not
your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

8.No greater and more amazing truth than
this, to shape a positive Christian attitude about sexuality. Bought with a
price. What price? The very life of the only Son of God, Jesus Christ! God’s
most treasured Son, His most highly beloved. The one with whom He is well
pleased. His life, His precious blood of an infinite worth, His purity and
innocence before God, His sinless love and self-sacrifice—the greatest model
for a husband’s love, and His death to pay the price for all our sins. How much
are you worth? What is your value?
God has placed this infinite value on you, that He gave His only Son to buy you
back from your sins. God saw us, bound and sold in every one of our sins,
sexual or otherwise, and He gave His Son as the redemption price to buy us
back.

9.See how precious your freedom and
forgiveness is? See how God purifies you, cleansing you of all the guilt and
shame of every sin? No accident that when God describes the love of Christ for
His church, He uses a picture of marriage—the church is presented to Him as a
bride, spotless, clean, without blemish or fault. How did she get that way? It
was not by her own goodness, but because He made her holy and cleansed her by
the washing of water with the Word. It was not because God’s love was blind. He
knew who we were and saw our sins, and stains and blemishes. But He took our
shame on Himself and gave all His purity, innocence, and love in return.
Everything that is His becomes ours in this marriage.

10.So
what does this mean for us now? By virtue of His cleansing in baptism, your
body now is the temple of the Holy Spirit! A doubly great blessing! No longer
does God choose the Temple of Jerusalem, with fixed, immovable stones and
woodwork and metalwork to dwell in. No matter how glorious and beautiful and
stunning that Temple was, God left that building to send His Spirit to dwell in
our bodies as His most holy temple. God dwells in you! And just as it would be
a sacrilege to vandalize the building of a temple or church, so also it is
unholy to disregard the God-given value of our bodies as temples of the Holy
Spirit. We should take care not to grieve or sadden the divine guest that lives
in us—the Holy Spirit. Instead we are called to holiness and honor. And through
the forgiving, washing, daily work of the Holy Spirit in us, He keeps our
Temple pure, turning away from all sin.

11.So
whether old or young, single or married, divorced or widowed, this is an issue
for you. There is no place from which you cannot start anew from God’s
forgiveness and seek to live a new life by His grace. God calls us to leave
behind “old familiar ways” of sin to seek first His kingdom and His
righteousness. Both elderly and parents have a vital role for the next
generation. Lead by example. Teach from your mistakes. Mentor a grandchild or
youth. Parents, show yourselves concerned and approachable, so kids can talk
openly and honestly with you—even if to admit sins or weaknesses, and seek
forgiveness. All of us—Christ was able to love even the worst of sinners, and
at the same time call them away from their sin to new life in Him. Tax
collectors and prostitutes came to Jesus, not because they expected to find
approval for their sin, but rather forgiveness! That their burdens of sin and
guilt could be laid down for Him to carry to the cross. Let’s do the same as we
lay down our burdens for forgiveness, and seek also to forgive others in the
same way. Give witness to the great value God has placed on us. You who are
burdened under past sins, confess them to God, or speak to your pastor to find
assurance of forgiveness. Speak to your trusted family member or friend to seek
out accountability. When sexual temptation comes, follow the example of Joseph
in the Old Testament, who fled, or ran from temptation. When he was alone and
faced with temptation he said “How can I do this great wickedness and sin
against God?” Don’t encourage temptation by isolation or exploration.

12.We
can be salt and light, we can give witness to God’s design of sexuality to the
world. But it all starts with knowing whose we are—that Christ Jesus made us
God’s children by the great price of His life. It continues with the knowledge
that His Spirit has made our bodies His holy dwelling place, and living out
that identity as forgiven, cleansed, temples of God’s living Spirit. So glorify
God in your body, in Jesus’ name and by Jesus’ love. Amen.

Sermon
Talking Points

Read
past sermons at:
http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com

Listen
to audio at:
http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1.In 1 Corinthians
6:12-13, Paul seems to be addressing some common “slogans” or sayings that were
circulating in the Corinthian church, or perhaps on the streets of Corinth.
What are the “slogans” that is responding to, and how does he redirect or
reshape them to make his point that sexual immorality is not permissible for
the Christian?

2.How does Paul
argue that sins committed in the body are truly significant and spiritually
harmful? Instead of sex being a “casual encounter,” what in fact takes place? 1
Cor. 6:16-20. The “one flesh union” that sex creates is actually a good gift of
God’s creation when used within the design that He gave for it: marriage
between one man and one woman. Gen. 2:24; Mark 10:6-9.

3.How does the
proper use of our bodies then directly impact the holiness and purity of the
Holy Spirit’s Temple (our body)? How ought a single Christian to live? A
married Christian? (See 1 Cor. 7 for Paul’s further instructions on sexuality).
1 Thess. 4:3-8.

4.What distinctly
high honor and value does the Holy Spirit’s dwelling in us grant to our bodies?
How has the influence of the world and sexual attitudes of our culture eroded
or disregarded that value? How can we rebuild it among ourselves and with the
youth of our generation? What have the consequences been of increasing sexual
immorality?

5.For those who
have repented of sexual sin, and discovered God’s better plan for themselves
and their bodies, what cleansing/purification has Christ accomplished for our
bodies as God’s Temple? 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Col. 2:11-14; 3:1-11; John 8:10-11. What
new purpose for living does He grant us? 1 Cor. 6:20; Heb. 13:4; 1 Thess. 4:3-8